Reducing Stress, Improving Grades

By Katie Rogers

Don’t you think stress plays a big role that affects students’ grades? It is said that a contributing factor to stress is a noisy environment because it lowers a person’s ability to concentrate. If one were to begin meditation it would eventually give them a sense of calmness, which would in turn cause them less stress.

            Different meditation techniques that can be used are breathing exercises. Breathing exercises help because they bring in more oxygen to your body. The more oxygen you have, the more you feel less tense and anxious. Eventually one also learns to drown out the noise around them bringing them to an even more relaxed state. There are also exercises for muscle relaxation, body scan and mindfulness.

            Muscle relaxation helps you detect the first signs of tense muscles. As one learns to relax their body, it also begins to relax the mind. With mindfulness meditation you are eliminating your thoughts about the past and the future and begin to concentrate on the present. This brings your body and nervous system back into balance. Some of these exercises can be combined to reduce even more stress. Additional activities such as walking or exercising can be a good part of mediation.

            His Holiness the Dalai Lama will speak on Oct. 18 and 19 at Western Connecticut State University, and the public is invited to a free showing (video simulcast) in the Ives Concert Hall, 181 White St. To help promote this opportunity, WCSU students in the Writing, Linguistics and Creative Process Department's Advertising, Copywriting and Promotions class created a Twitter page. and they are writing this blog daily.